Apparatus for handling articles



` April 22, 1930. A, WMLER n AL 1,755,720

APPARATUSv FOR HANDLING ARTICLES /LT/freo Wink/er' and Max Eff/M9656 April 22, i936. A. wlNKLl-:R ET Aly r' APPARATUSFOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed nec. 1s, 192s 5 sheets-smet 2 Zio/neg A. WINKLER ET AL APPARATUS Fon HANDLING ARTICLES April 22, 1930.

Filedv De'. 18, 1922s s sheets-sheet s Patented Apr. 22, 1930l "TEN 'ric ALFRED WINKLERAND MAXv DNNEBIER, or NEUWIED, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR'HANDLNG ARTICLES Application filed December l18,);1928,l Serial No. 328,792, andn Germany December-19,1927. Y

i The invention relates to an4 lapparatl'is by means of which the articles'or workfpleces', such as bodies of sugar, fondants, and the like,

which have to be operatedon in a separate 5 machine, ar e arranged'in the upright position ,A in which'itY is desired-to' operate'on them and kare supplied tothe machine at regular dis-` tances apart and separated from one'another as regards varieties. Y Apparatus is valready known in which the work-pieces are supplied to acharging container havingV an open bottom and rails lyingV below it which extend'to a distance beyond the container, kand in which they are `withdrawn from the container by means of a horizontal conveyor band and are separated from one another by means of several conveyor bands which are arranged one behindanother and run at gradually increaslngspeeds. In

other known kinds `ofapparatusa delivery table is arranged for the reception ofthe un sorted and mixed work-pieces from which they are delivered intermittently by means ofacharging apparatus in small quantities on a conveyor band over,v which straight guide rails are provided `for arranging the workpieces inv rows. YIn both'apparatusia shaking movement of the charging container orde# livery ktable and in part also of the guiderails in a direction which is transverse tothe path of the work piece, isemployed and the object Y of this movement is onk the Yo'nehandjtov bring the Ypiecesv continuouslyffrom the charging container or supply 'table on to'- the'conveyor This methodofk arrangmgthe work-pieces Y in an uprightposition vis however with all the Aapparatus hitherto: known notas certain `as is desired because the piecesarenot shaken 4.3 sufficiently and'because the greatest yshaking is not yeffected atthemoment andat the place .where its greatest effect would'be ensured.

y Further 1 the uniformity hithertof `obtained with regard to thedistributionof the pieces Y e and the regularity oftheir supply to thema-KV tion. 1

band and it has in addition the very impor-V tant object of throwing the piecesbackwards 1 which chine in which they are to be further treated left. much tovbe desired7 because they were delivered too 'irregularly' from the charging container to the conveyor band. 'In all `cases also' the 'disadvantage is present .that 1 the chargingl container or the' delivery tabletakes part in the shaking movement, that is to say Aa V relativelylarge mass has to be set in oscilla- In thezapparatus in accordance withthe ce' present invention regard is paid to eliminat-` ing the aforesaid drawbacks` The guide rails are bent in wavy lines and therefore the pieces :must strike more voften again'st`them. v The constructionY and arrangement of the 'charging container which is subdivided for the separate reception yof the different kinds ofpieces ensures a delivery of the workpiecesA inthe greatest possible uniformity, and care is also taken that any irregularitieswhich "f may occur areequalizedby means ofan additional apparatus,v The container itselfv is stationary and does not takepart in the oscilA` lation, and the' shaking movement for setting the pieces upright is on the contrary so effected that thehighest efciency is ensured.-V` Further the possibility of adjusting the speeds i ofthe conveying means and the frequencya'rid the size of the intermittent movements which,

so Ifarvasisnecessary, are madeto'depend so" positively-one vuponanother together. with thefeasyl inte'rchangeability of wholegroups of' parts enable Ythe -machine to be `suitably' adapted to'v all kinds of vwork-pieces. with which it'may have-to deal. Alsoffor avoid-l ing disturbances due. to impurities a novel ar-1.

' rangement is employed.

he inventionis illustrated by way of eX- ample in Vthe accompanying'f drawings, in

Fig, 1 isa side elevation of the machine partly insection,Vv Y 1 2 aplan, f Y Fig. k3 a secondform'of construction.- of a `detail of the apparatuaand 1 I f FigsgZL-G arevarious details.

Referring4 to V'the drawings, the colrnplete`Y V f machine. is so 'arranged that it can beferected infront o ffamach'ine for 4 carrying foutj a fur-` theroperation, for example in' place of the sin Y delivery table of a coating machine, in such a manner that the work-pieces from it arrive directly on the coating grid 1 of the latter. The machine consists essentially of the pedestal 2 which carries side walls 3 between which a table 4 rests. A charging container 5 1s arranged at the rear end of the table 4.

Y This forms a boX which is closed at both sides `and at the rear and is open in front and on i top. Its bottom is formed by a conveyor band 8 which passes over two rollers 6 and 7 and is inclined upwards towards the table 4. The roller 6 is journalled in the side Walls 3 of the machine. Its shaft carries at the same time the oneend ofthe side pieces 9 of the frame 10 which carries the container 5 and in the other end of which the roller 7 of the con-,

veyor band 8 is journalled. The shaft ofthe lroller 7 is carried in a bow-shaped member 11 :to the centre of which a stay l2 is linked and is supported on `a spindle 13. This spindle is guided in a bracket 14 fined to the pedes- Y' tal 2 and carries a hand wheel 15 provided with a screw` thread so that by turning the hand wheelthe vrear end of the charging-containerl can be raised Vor lowered. The surface of the conveyor band 8 is roughened'l and m the example illustrated transverse grooves lextending'across the entire width of .the band-'areuprovided The interior of the container 5 is subdivided into separate compartments 17 which are narrower at their rear ends, that is to say Vat the deepest part than in front. which projectupwardly from the side walls 3 on both sides of the machine there is journalled a shaft 18 which carries in the middle Y ofv each outlet of the compartments 17 a cirthe number of them being such that the guide Y c, tracks33 formed thereby correspond to vthe number of longitudinal Irowsof work pieces to be formed. These guide rails 32 are straight for about a quarter of their total length from the charging container 5 and are then bent in the form of wavy lines. At their.

front and'rearendsjnear the -rollers 28 .and 29 respectively and at the transitional place from the straight to the wavy formV they are connected together by means lof cross-rails 34,

35 and 36 in sucha mannerthat each'of them4 has a pivoting point about .a bolt 37. The front and-rear Across rails' 34 and 35 are v screwedfast to the side walls 3 of the Vfraine of the machine by means ofscrews V33 while the-central rail 36 is transversely displaceable Above the roller .6 in arms and for this purpose is carried in guides which are fastened to the side walls 3. In this way the guide rails 32 can be bent in common in both'directions at the place where they are fastened to the cross rail 36, by moving the latter sidewise, so that they swing about the points at which they are fastened to the cross rails 34 and 35. In order to enable this sidewisebending to be carried out the guide rails 32 can be made of elastic material. For this purpose itis, however,` 4necessary to arrange longitudinal slots at the turning points of the rails. In the constructional eX- ample illustrated the guide rails are divided at the fastening points to the middle crossrails 36, each of them therefore actually consists of two parts. For their-revoluble fasteningto the front and rear cross-rails 34,35 respectively the guide rails carry at these places'a bow-like member 39 which is screwed on or otherwise fastened to them and is provided in the middle of its bridge with a longitudinal holefin which a headed bolt 37 (see F ig. 4) is introduced 'beforethe bow is yfastened to the rail; i This has' at 37 lateral flats so that it fits inslots 34and35"l `of the crossrails 34 and 35 and is at the same time secured against rotation.V The lower surface of the cross-'rails 34 and 35 lies against the upper surface of the flats 37. The bolt 37 can in thismanner be screwed `fastto the cross-rail by means of'a nut 40, a washer 41, being interposed, and secured lagainst displacement1 whereas the bow-like member 39 of the guide rail A32 remains revoluble about the bolt 3 The length of the circular stem of the bolt 37 gives the'distance of ,the guide `rails 32 from the crossrails 34 Vand 35 and an intermediate ring'42 ensures this distance being kept. The cross rails 34 and 35 fit between the side walls 3 of the machine and their ends 43 are reduced in width and also possess slots 44 in which screws 38V are guided. These screws are Y screwed into the side walls 3, so that the height of the cross rails and` therefore Yalso of the guide rails can be adjustedby them whereby7 thedistance of the 'latter from the conveyovf' band 46 can be regulated. L

The fastening of the guide rails 32 to the centralcross rail 36 is the same as previously Vdescribedjbut in'vthis case the bow-like mehr v ber 39 isodividedin such a manner that one of each of its halvesA is fastened to the ends of the rails which abut at this place. Both halves project over one another and carry together fthe aperture, which is in this case circular, forthe passagey of thebolt 3.7.

AV pin 47 istted to one end of the lowerV sides of the cross rail 36 with whichpin one arm 48 of an angler-lever engages. rlhe ,other arm 449 of this angle-lever is in engagement with the interposition ofthe necessary link or gol-nt with one-arm 50of a second anglelever with the secondarm 51 of which a crank rod 52 engages', which cra-nkerod is moved by .-"l

means of a crank or eccentric 53.? v "-ln'thisw'ay the sidewise movementof the cross-rail86 spring l and are revolublyrjixed on the shaft'54 of the drumv25. In 'orderto be able VVdirectlyl to remove the remains of sugar etc.

adhering to the Conveyor band 56 'the guide roller 26 is constructed asa cleaningv roller.

It is made Yof metal and 'its surfacev is not-` very flat so thatfthe conveyor band 46 passing over it gives up to it all the adhering -remains'of sugar, etc.k owin to the pressure betweenthem. -A scraper 5% which is pressed against the roller -26 by means ofa-spring 58 removes the sugar from it which fallsV into areceptacle 59.

At the'place where the two conveyor bands 8' and 46 meet there lis interposed 'an inclinedv slide 87 which is inclined forwardly towards Y the conveyor band 46." It is provided with partition walls 88corresponding withthose of the container 5."

The drive' of fthe complete machine fis Veffected from the longitudinal sha-ft 60 which isV carried in guides along the coating ma chine and formerly served the purpose off driving the delivery conveyor band. Acha'in 63 drives from it by means of the chain wheels 61 and 62 the shaft 64 on which two fri ction wheels 65 and 66which`are displace-able in the VlongitudinalY direction Vare arranged.

These wheels engage: with friction discs 6?y and 68 respectively, the shafts 69 yand 70 of whichV run transversely tothe machine and are journalled in the two side pieces '3. 'At the op osite end ofl the Lvshaft 69 'to thefriction discV 6 there is mounted a `cone-'vheel 7l' which engageswith a second cone wheel-72 the shaftfy of which'is' jour-nailed on, this iside of the machine and 'carries a worm -4 y which drives l a 'wormwheel'76'-xed' onft-he shaft 54 of the drum 25.@ Byfthis means the drive Vof thel delivery band' 46 isleifected. "1 l 1 The second friction wheel 66 drives the' friction disc 68. Its lshaft-,70 carries a Vcam 7 8 on lthe opposite side of the machine which `method operation ofthe` entire apparatus. .Y

eifec'tsthe movement-of the 'lever'22 through the agency of the rod'? 9,'whereby the inter'- mittent movement'of the conveyorband 8and Ylthe'xpartial rotation of the circular brush' 9,VA -is Veected`V through the agency of the ratchet wheel 20. There isV also mounted on the shaft Y Y, the-c'ompa'rtments'l? of the hopper. On the Vcontinued intermittent movement of the conf` veyor band8 a limited numberof pieces are carriedupward-'withit and, in so far that` they' still lie one `above theother, are gradual# TO aneccentrie 53 byv which the sidewisemove ment'of the transverse rails V36 and therefore the bending of the guide v rails mis-effected through the agency ofthe crank-rod 52' and:

the two anglelevers'5.0,'51and 48, 49; yIn* front of the shaft v64- of the friction Y wheel and parallel'to`it'there-arelarranged i, i two spindles l81 and 82 provided withhandles 83 and 84 respectively which serve the pur-v pose of-displacing the friction wheels 65 and 66along their shafts. For this purpose the spindles 8l and 82 each carry a double forked part 85 and 86 respectively which are internally threaded andare guided along the shaft 64 of the friction wheels and embrace the friction wheels-65 Vand 66 so that they are secured in position in the longitudinal di-k rection of their shaft 64` after they have once beenv adjusted in position on it.

AS will be clearv from the foregoing the y speed of the conveyor band 46 can be altered as V desired while thespeed' of revolution 'of the shaft 60 remains unchanged by moving the friction' wheel 65, whileby moving the V friction'wheel 66v the frequency of the move#Y ments 'of the conveyor band 8 and the sidewise bending ofthe guide v'rails 32 can be' regulated; The two latter movements are in this Vmanner, brought-'into dependence one upon the other. Moreover provision is made forfthe adjustment of various detail parts.V

Siu

Thus the lever' 22 for moving the band 8 is provided witha, longitudinal slot whereby the length of Vstroke.andtherefor the length of each movement of the Vvband 8 as also thev angle of the partial `rotational movement of "the circular 4brush 19 can be altered. In

order to be able to alter the'stroke of the cross rails 86 for performing the sidewise bendingof the guide rails 32 the eccentric '58 is provided with a number of holes at different distances from'the center of rotation (see `Fig. 1),"and`any selected hole serves for the reception of thecranlr pin. Further the arm 51 of the double armed lever withV which the' crankrod 52 engages can be provided with a longitudinal slot (which is not illustratedrin therdr'awings) for additional ad; justment of the shaking stroke.

lt is necessary that the cross section of theguide rails 82 should suit the different forms ofthe work-pieces in Vorder to ensure that the pieces are set upright.Y For thisrea'sonthe apparatus is so arranged'that thecomplete system of guideV rails 82 can beremoved and 1 replaced by another, which also'forms a'sys- 'tem complete'in itself, bysimply looseningv Y .y A Y Y H5 Y thefour screws 88. e vThe following is a description ofthe novel The employment ofan upwardly inclined conveyor band 8 as thefbottomiof the charg- -Y ingrhop'perhas the eect inthe first place i that the work-pieces collect and lpackthem- A selves closely together at the deepest part` ofk lyrs'eparated; In'orderto make this separa# tionstill: more certain the'compartments'..'17`

Y fore, the nearer the pieces approach theV hopl.: owing to the 'intermittent movement of :the`

per outlet the greater .is the `lateral'fr'eedom which they have. The result is `:that the piecesare already given a shaking movement conveyor band 8 and some of them consequently place themselves upright upon Vthis band. rlihe separation of the individual pieces on their way upwards becomes the 3 more certain the more steeply the conveyor band S is inclined, at the same timefhowever,

increasing inclination also favours the fallffl ing backwards of the pieces, therefore in order'to assist-'the former and avoid the flatter V the surface of the conveyor band y8 is roughmovement of the band 3 :has been completed,

the circular brush makes apartial rotation in a counter-.clockwise .direction and thereby pushes `backwards*any vpieces which may have jammed so that Athe track is free for the re- .3, naining pieces. Y Y Y A, second form rof construction of an ap-V paratusv for preventing stoppages at the hopper outlet is illustrated in Fig. 3. In this case, V-instead of circular brushes, there are i provided backward and forward oscillating levers 89 Yeach ofl which is provided with a brush 90 and screwed to. a common shaft 91. They are fitted inthe same position as .the circular brushes19 (Fig. '1) namely in the middle of the outlets ofthe hopper compartments 17. Instead of the ratchet wheel'j Yshaking movement ofthe sidewise recipro-V Vcatingguide rails 32. rl-his place is of course 21, va lever 92 :is screwed on the shaft .18 and it carries a pin 93. This pin engages l in a slot 94 in the upwardly projecting arm r22 ofthe lever 122-so that the backwardand forward oscillating movement of the arm 22 is'also transmitted tothe lever 92 andthereby tothe lever 89 which carries the brush 90.

Theaction of maintaining the joutlets of theV container 5 free operates in this case in both directions. v From the conveyor band v8 the pieces, as previously mentioned, arrive at the conveyor .band 4,6, which is guided over the table 4.-,

in a .relatively good and uniform state of distribution: and infact reach thevseparate Vtracks formed by the guide rails 32 sepa-rated accordingV to varieties. In the example illus- -trated it'is assumed that two guide ytracks run into eachcompartment 17 of the hopper 5 sothat eachof the two tracks receive similar pieces andjaltogetherffive different varieties are set out in .ten rows. rlhis method l f division can of course be altered as dei sired,

The object in r'view is :to 'arrange the .pieces in rowsvon the conveyor .band 46a-s closely as possible one after. another. 'Bylregulating the difference oif'speed between the coating grid 1 of the coating-machine and the conveyor lband 4.6 then any distance betweenthe pieces-which may .be desired Von 'the coating grid 1 can b e obtained without further trou ble. In order to yarrange the *pieces on 'the conveyor lband 4-6 closely fone ,beli'ind another it is essential that the supplyffrom the container' should be entirely free'ffrom :interruptions and should beuni'form. Byiiite'rposing theslide 87 between the conveyor'band 8 and the conveyor band l46 it becomes possible to neutralize any inequalities in zthe supply which mayhave occurred. -If for ver ample for some reason a vdisturbance inthe supply from the Vcontainer -occu'rs'so that for vexample the last supplied V.piecerfhas al` ready moved forward on to the band 46 a short distance from the end ofthe slide 87 the next piece rolls or slides forwardaowing to the'speed given to it on the steep surface of Vthe 'slide 87, :until it knocks Aagainst :the piece in front. In this wayany inequalities in supply are got rid of and .gaps in the rows of pieces on the band 46 are avoided.

For setting upright any .pieces which reach Vtheconveyor band 46m a reversed condition shaking, which is known per se, is employed. Whereas however `withall known devices the greatest shaking takes place ata place where the vpieces have not yet been -suiiciently distributed, b ecause ,i-n' such cases the 'shaking must also simultaneously assist the distribution, according to the invention the greatest shaking only takes placeafter-thepieces have had the opportunity of .distributing themselves so that each individual piece is acted upon with a fair degree of -certainty -by the is much less at thispoint rthan directlyat the point of supply. *For this 4reason `the guide rails 32 swing about both ends and make their greatest movement at a point :between the ends, namely, in the example illustrated, at the-pointwhere they are -li'xed `to the cross rails 36. This arrangement is possiblev in the apparatus inraccord'ance with the invention only because the shaking .movement of the guidev rails solely serves v-the. purpose of setting the pieces upright and is no't,'or onlyvto a Yvery small extent. employedfor distribut ing them as was the casev with the vknown apparatus because the' pieces were .then not supplied to the conveyor band sufficiently well distributedV If the setting :upright'of all `work Vpieces is to be ensured they must -be guided very often against the rails 32, there-l In order to make full use of a machine of the kind in question it is of the greatest importance, in view ofthe numerouskinds of work-pieces or articles to be treated, that it is possible in all cases to make the supply and other movements correctly agree with one another. kVery small pieces require, as compared with larger pieces, a more frequent and smaller intermittent movement `of the con'- veyor band 8 and also that the shaking movements of the' guide rails S2 should follow in more rapid succession. The movements thereforeV must b e made to depend on one another as is the casein the apparatus according to the invention' which has been hereinbefore described. `The conveyor band 4.6 when smaller piecesare being treated, must on the contrary, run more slowly because even "with small pieces their close packing together in rows one behind another on the Vband appears to be Vindicated for the economical Working of the machine. With largepieces the requirements are the opposite. In this casel less frequent but greaterindividual movements of the con'- veyor band 8 are necessary and the shaking movements of the guide rails 82 can be smaller in number. The shaking stroke on the other hand must bev greater. The conveyor band i6 have made a considerable technical advance over the knownmachine in respect of pracf tical requirements. y

What we claim is:

l. Apparatus of the character described for the supply of articles in an upright position, comprising conveying means for the articles, guide rails of wavy form, and means for moving said rails transversely tothe direction of movement of 'the said conveying' means, for

shaking the said. articles and bringing them to upright positions.

2. Apparatus of the character described fory Y Y the supply of articles in. an upright position,

' comprising a container for the articles, an 1nclined endless travelling band forming` the bottom of the container and serving to raise the articles, a second conveyor band for carrying lsaid articles, a plurality of waved tracks of flexible material and means for imparting side movements to said tracks for the purpose described.V n

r3. Apparatus of thecharacter described for thesupply of articles in an upright position comprlsing a container for the articles,.

an inclined endless travelling-band `forming the" bottom of the .container and servingto -raise the articles, an inclined: slide for receiving thefarticles 'from said band, lasecond conveyor band forcarrying said articles, ,a pluralityof waved tracks yfof flexibleiraterial and-1` mea-ns for, imparting side .movement to sfridftracks for-thefpurpose described..f .v

o .4.:Apparatusof the` character v described for thesupply of articles in anupright'position, comprising a-container for the articles,

partition walls dividing the container into a plurality of compartments for the* accommodation of .different varieties .o f articles,

a common endless band forming an inclined f' bottom for said compartments andv serving* to raise the articles therefrom, a5 secondconveyor band nfor `the articles, aseries ofwaved rails dividingl the latter band into a plu-- rality of tracks for. the;articles, and means forfflexing said rails :in `a transverse direction to shakefand :arrange theY articles in-.said fl tlLCks. Y n i. 1. -5 Apparatus --of the character described .fOr Vthe supply-of articles in an upright p09 ysition, comprisinga container vfor the articles, an inclined endless travelling band form'- ing the bottom ofthe container and serving to raise the articles, ai second conveyor. band for c, carrying said articles, -af plurality; of waved tracksof flexible material, end lpivots `.for said tracks, a crossbar connecting said tracks -betweentheir ends and means for reciprocating the cro-ssbar and thus imparting transverse swinging vmovement to the tracks and shaking and-arranging ,the vsaid articles. v 6, Apparatus vaccording-'tov claim 2, comprising meansl for varying the inclination of the bottom of the container to control the supply"oflthevarticlestherefrom.

Apparatus according to claim 2,* comprismg means oni' thesurfaceof the said inf clined band forpreventing sliding of the articlesthe'ren." Y

8. Apparatus of the character described for the supply of' articles in an upright position, comprising a container for the arti-.

cles, partitions dividing the container'into a plurality of compartments and shaped so that the width of each compartment increases towards the outlet thereof, conveying means for the articles, guide rails of wavy form, and means for moving said rails transversely to the direction of movement of the said conveying means, for shaking the said articles and `bringing them` to upright positions.

9." Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising means for imparting intermittent movement to the inclined Vrband to raise the articles from the container.

10. Apparatus according to claim V2, comprising means for imparting intermittent movement to the inclined band to raise 'the articles from the container, and means for Yregulating the frequency of Said movements.

sov

11. Apparatus according. to claim 2*, comprisingV means for imparting y intermittent movement to: the:-i11cli11ed band? to, raisethe articles from. the'l containerv and means Vfor varying the length of; thesaid` intermittent movements.: l Y Y 12.A Apparatus ,accordingto claim 2, comprising means. for. imparting .intermittent movement `to the inclined bandftofraise the articles from the container, means for regulating? such intermittent movement in accordance lWith thesde' movements of' said tracks andV means for the-independent adjustment ofthe. speed of' movement of thevsaid second convelyorvband...V .Y

y 13.. ,Apparatusaccordingto'claim 4, com` prisng. an, inclined' guide for receiving the articles. from Vsaldi compartments and depositing same upon thesecond conveyor band;

Apparatus according to'cla'im l, comprising 'a plurality of cross members, means i for pivotally securingsaidfguide rails tothe cross members and means for removably mounting theeross members on the apparatus sothati the guide'. rails may' be7 removed as av` unit With said cross members.

Y 151.y Apparatus according to claim 1,- comprising stationary crossebars mounted above thefsaid conveyingmeans', screws'connecting saidguide rails pivotally to said cross-bars and an intermediateV movable bar also" con-v negatedl to said rails; p

16; Apparatusl according to claim 1, comprising' stationary 'cross-bars removably mounted on the apparatus, and screw means pivotally connecting. the guide" rails to said bars and serving to adjust the said rails vertically towards or away from the surface of the'- saidv conveying means.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speccation.

. ALFRED WINKLER. 1

MAX y DUNNEBIER. 

